Friday, April 19, 2019

Tag You're It Mini Album

Hello and happy Friday!! It's Jennalee here today. I am on a bit of a book kick lately. They are the perfect project for using up scraps. I have seen some amazing matchbook albums on Instagram and was inspired by the size of them. So I decided to go small again. The cover of my books are made from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts - Small Tag Set and Large Tags.  The chipboard tags provide a sturdy cover yet can still be stitched thru!!



The Small Tags Set come with 10 in the pack and measure 3.25 inches tall by 1.6 inches wide. 


The Large Tags come with 3 in the pack and are number 8 size. 


Fold the small tags at 1/2 inch from the bottom and then at 2.25 inches. 

I used my score board and bone folder to score my tags before folding. I found that lightly spraying the Small Tags helped create a cleaner fold. 


Fold the Large Tag at 3/4 inch from the bottom and then again at 3 5/8 inches. 

The larger tags are not as thick as the smaller ones and don't need to be sprayed. 


I used a glue stick to adhere scraps to both the front and back of both tags. I used a sanding block to remove any overhanging edges. 




A stitched on button and some vintage cotton thread make the perfect closure for the Small Tag book. 




I built up my layers and then stitched them together on with the sewing machine. I then set my stitches to a longer length and then stitched them into the tag cover. 
And added messy stitching to the top flap. 



The large tag book was assembled the same as the small one. Because there were more pieces of ephemera in the larger book stitching on my machine was a bit tricky. So keep that in mind and take it slow. 


Those layers make my heart flutter!! 



I love the wings peeking out!! 






These little books are the perfect way to spend an afternoon and would be perfect for mail art swaps.
Tag you're it!! I challenge you to make a book from a tag. 
Happy Creating ~ Jennalee 

Friday, April 5, 2019

Mini Accordion Book

Hello!! I always love when a big box of inspiration comes from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts. It's always so fun to dig thru and see what really sparks an idea. In my most recent box, there were these fabulous Mini Trading Coasters (coming soon) and I instantly thought they would make the perfect covers for a small book of some sort. I have been wanting to try my hand at an accordion book so decided to dive right in. 

I got so caught up in making this project I forgot to take a bunch of pictures but I'll walk you thru my thought process. 






These Mini Trading Coasters come in a 3 pack and measure 2.5 x 2.5. The possibilities for these are endless. 




I wanted to keep my book simple with a focus on textures. The cover has a die-cut pattern layered with a torn bingo card. Using a craft pic I was easily able to poke holes thru the Mini Trading Coaster. I then stitched on a button and tied a length of seaming binding around the stitching to act as a closure. 


 I started out by making my accordion insert first. Once the accordion was made I adhered either end to the Coasters. In design, I usually strive for odd numbers but for this particular book 6 pages worked the best. 




Wanting a mixture of textures I did every other page out of fabric. 



I picked all my pieces for the main pages and stitched them together on my sewing machine. Once the main pages were sewn together I went back and added any hand stitching or embellishments. 



This page is actually a baby wipe left over from making rusty ink backgrounds. I accidentally burnt a hole in while drying the page next to it. But it only adds to the texture and interest.


Keeping it simple by letting the textures of varying papers do the talking. 






A handstitched photo printed on muslin. 



I loved this piece of a vintage time card with the original bit of adding machine tape still attached. 



I kept the back simple but love the natural patina of the paper. 





I hope this simple project brings a small spark of inspiration. These trading coasters also come in a larger size so I think I see another book in my future. As always thanks for spending a few minutes with me today. 
Happy Creating ~ Jennalee 


I am entering this project into the challenge over at Mini Album Makers. Be sure to check out all the inspiration!!